>40 XIX. VIOLAEIE^. 



ilbunien of these latter is floury. But, besides the different habit, Droseracem have extrorse anthers, 

 inatropous ovules, and a straight embryo; Violaricm proper have irregular imbricate isostemonous flowers, 

 inatropous ovules, straight embryo, and fleshy albumen; Blxinerr scarcely differ save in the anatropous 

 ivules. There is a decided affinity between Cistinea: and Hypericinem (which see). They bare also 

 )een compared with Capparidcce, from which, however, they differ in habit, fugacious petals, albuminous 

 !eed, etc. 



CistinecB mostly inhabit the Mediterranean region ; some grow in North America ; a very few in central 

 Europe and eastern Asia, and still fewer in South America. 



The herbage of Ckiinem is slightly astringent ; some CV.sfo' yield a balsamic resin, named ladanum, which 

 s used in perfumery. Helianthemam mJi/are, a species of central Europe, is sometimes administered as a 

 imlnerary. 



■ XIX. VIOLARIEJS. 



[Genera Cisi'is affinia, Jussieu. — -Ionidia, Ventenat. — Violakib^, D.C. — Violace^, 



Lindl. — Violet, Br.) 



Petals 5, more or less unequal, hypogynous or slightly perigynous, imbricate. 

 Stamens 5, inserted lihe the petals. Otart 1-celled, placentation parietal. Style simple. 

 Fruit a capsule with the placentas on the centre of the valves, or rarely an indehiscent 

 berry. Seeds albuminous. Embryo straight. 



Herbs, undershrubs, or shrubs, rarely sarmentose [Agation). Leaves alternate, 

 rarely opposite [lonidium, Alsodeia), simple, petioled, usually involute in bud, some- 

 times arranged in radical rosettes, and spotted with brown below {Viola cotyledon and 

 rosulata) ; stipules free, foliaceous, or small, usually deciduous in tbe woody species. 

 Flowers 5 ■> often dimorpbous and apetalous, irregular or sub-regular, pentamerous, 

 or very rarely tetramerous {Tetrathylacimn) , axillary, solitary or in a cyme, panicle 

 or raceme ; pedicels usually 2-bracteolate. Sepals 5, distinct, or connate at tbe 

 base, usually persistent, equal or unequal, sestivation imbricate. Petals 5, 

 hypogynous or slightly perigynous, alternate with the sepals, sestivation imbricate 

 and convolute, sometimes equal or subequal, clawed, connivent, or cohering in a 

 tube at the base {Paypayrola, Tetrdthylacium, Gloiospermum, Sauvagesia) ; sometimes 

 very unequal, the two upper exterior, the two lateral within the others, and not 

 clawed, the inner (lowest by the reversal of the flower) larger, clawed, and prolonged 

 into a hollow spur below its insertion. Stamens 5, inserted on the receptacle or 

 bottom of the calyx ; filaments very short, dilated, free, or sometimes connate at the 

 base [Leonia, Gloiospermum, Alsodeia, &c.) ; anthers introrse, 2-celled, connivent, or 

 coherent round the ovary, cells adnate by the back to the inner surface of the 

 connective, and opening by a longitudinal slit ; connective prolonged above the cells 

 in a membranous appendage, those of the 2 or 4 lower stamens (in the irregular 

 flowers) gibbous and glandular on their dorsal face, or prolonged into filiform spurs, 

 which are included in that of the lower petal. Ovary free, sessile, often girt with a 

 basal annulus, 1-celled ; placentas parietal, slender, generally 3, rarely 2 {Hymen- 

 anthera), or 5 {Melicytus), or 4 {Tetrathylacium) ; style simple, sometimes thickened 

 at the top, or bent with a dorsal stigniatic cavity, or of various form, sometimes 



